


Seven Veils

by Asharia (Xocoatldreams)



Category: BtVS - Fandom
Genre: GFY, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-12
Updated: 2010-01-12
Packaged: 2017-10-06 05:15:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/50045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xocoatldreams/pseuds/Asharia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Only one sees</p>
            </blockquote>





	Seven Veils

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own. Really.
> 
> This came after remembering something one of my professors in University had said. He always said that you should leave some of the story up to the reader, like a dancer of seven veils leaving that last one on. Don't give everything away. Hopefully I accomplished that.

7.  
The first piece falling, drifting down like a dancer's veil was a surprise. It offered a brief glimpse of a mystery, leaving him wanting more, needing more. Still, it wasn't enough. Like a few raindrops during a drought, it did nothing to quench his thirst. Instead, it created a deeper need that left him striving for more and searching for the rest of the puzzle. So he began to watch closer, hoping for another chance, another piece of the puzzle. It became his new obsession and everything else fell to the wayside. He was determined to figure it out.

 

6.  
Waiting was the hardest part. Watching was easy. He liked to watch. But waiting was something he had never been particularly good at. Still, he did his best to have patience as he watched for another piece to fall. The reward for his patience came as the sun sank low in the sky, bathing everything in hues of red and gold. From the safety of his crypt he watched as the fading rays painted already golden skin in vivid colours and another veil drifted away as brown eyes sadly watched the dimming light. There was a deep-seated pain in those soulful eyes. This new information offered no clue to the mystery, instead opened more questions and left him wondering.

 

5.  
The candles on the table had long ago melted down to small puddles of wax and the expensive bottle of wine now lay empty on its side. Both plates sat untouched on the table, their contents cold and congealed. He was not surprised to see this, nor the figure seated on the couch. He took in the green silk stretched over muscle, the black pants encasing longs legs and the semi-tamed dark curls. For once he wasn't looking for clues but was given one in slump of wide shoulders. Resignation and acceptance surrounded the hunched figure and he was beginning to understand.

 

4.  
The next bit of the puzzle came in the form of slurred words, raised voices and the sound of flesh hitting flesh. It offered a wealth of information, giving more insight to the mystery. As each sound drifted down muscles tensed as if bracing for a blow. White teeth bit into a tender lip and dark eyes welled with tears. He could see anger and fear in those orbs, hidden but there if one knew what to look for. So much was answered, but more was still left in shadow. It wasn't enough, he wanted to know more, to understand all that was hidden behind the slowly crumbling mask.

 

3.  
For a while there were no more glimpses, no more pieces falling or veils drifting away. There was no more bits of information and it became a pain he never imagined. Even the chip didn't hurt like this. It was like finally seeing Paradise and then being thrown out with the trash. There was an ache inside him as he watched everyday for a new piece of the puzzle, but nothing came. He was left floundering with the small amount of information he already possessed, begging distant gods for more. No relief came, just dark brown reflecting what he already knew.

 

2.  
The absence of clues had left him with a void. He tried to fill it, but nothing seemed to stay except what he had already learned. The struggle to ignore the aching inside almost made him miss the next clue. He almost didn't realize it was a clue, because it had always been there shining bright. At first he didn't think the new piece fit with the others. It was so bright and so beautiful it seemed to eclipse everything around it. Slowly though, he began to see. Despite it's light and perfection, despite it's beauty it was left shining alone unwanted and unreturned. He noticed it didn't seem as bright as it had once been, as if it had dimmed and diminished with time and disuse. Fitting this part into the puzzle he realized it almost all made sense. He nearly understood it all.

 

1.  
Stepping back on day, he realized he was the only one watching, he was the only one who saw the puzzle. Part of him rejoiced at being the person who understood, but the rest of him raged silently that no one saw the slow death before them. It was as if everyone was blind and he was the only one who could see as the mask shattered and nearly everything was laid bare. There was only one piece missing from the puzzle and it was a startling realization that he didn't want to see the finished product. He didn't want that last veil to fall, didn't want brown eyes to glaze over or see warm golden skin become cold and pale. Being the only person aware, there wasn't much he could do. Using words and touches he did his best to keep the puzzle from being completed.


End file.
